Director of The Duality Quantum Accelerator-Incubator

Search for the Director of The Duality Quantum Accelerator-Incubator

The Polsky Center

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business

 

The Polsky Center at The University of Chicago Booth Business School seeks a dynamic leader to serve as Director of The Duality Quantum Accelerator-Incubator. This is an exciting opportunity for someone to join a growing organization focused on one of the most exciting areas of technology. Duality--now in its second year--supports venture creation, corporate engagement, funding, and professional programming for entrepreneurs in quantum technology.

 

Based at The Polsky Center, Duality is the result of a productive collaboration between the University of Chicago, the Chicago Quantum Exchange, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Argonne National Laboratory, and P33. These organizations recognized that Chicago, and the greater Midwest region, have become a global hub for world-class research in quantum information science and technology. Illinois is home to two of the five Department of Energy (DOE) centers and two of the five National Science Foundation (NSF) centers receiving approximately $275M through the National Quantum Initiative, in addition to $200M from the State of Illinois, positioning the region as a quantum hub.

 

Duality’s goal is to develop and grow the ecosystem for quantum startups and engage established businesses in the possibilities of this technology. Illinois is home to more than thirty Fortune 500 companies and thriving ecosystems in fields like manufacturing, health care, life sciences, transportation and logistics, and financial technology. P33, a privately funded nonprofit founded in 2019 to elevate Illinois’s technology ecosystem, has incorporated commercialization of quantum technologies into its strategic plan for the region. This ecosystem and activity position Duality to have a meaningful impact on the launch and growth of quantum startups. Now hosting its second cohort of startups, Duality has established itself as a vital partner to these early-stage companies, providing a wide range of support including: entrepreneurial training, business mentors, industry contacts, funding, and space.

 

The Director will be responsible for both the strategic and operational excellence of the program. As with any new venture, the early years require a leader who can identify near-term strategy shifts, ensure flawless execution on the deliverables, and engage critical outside partners to fund the work. The Director needs to feel comfortable in both academic and corporate environments and be an enthusiastic spokesperson for both the technology and region.

 

Review of applications, nominations, and expressions of interest will begin immediately and continue on a confidential basis until an appointment is made. All inquiries, nominations/referrals, and applications (including curriculum vitae and letters of interest) should be submitted electronically to Andrew Lee, Jane McInerney, and Elizabeth Braun via Isaacson, Miller’s website: https://www.imsearch.com/search-detail/S8-649

 

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